Monday, 13 October 2014

Power Plant Mondays - Zuiderzee Edition - Woudagemaal there is?

Dear readers, in only a few short weeks sweetie and I will be clogging through the low countries. In celebration, we take a brief look at how 1920s steam technology pumps out the polders in the Netherlands...

Woudagemaal Lemmer (puur geluid !) - 4:08

Since 1920 the Woudagemaal pumping station in Lemmer has pumped water from a drainage area into the IJsselmeer Lake. Woudagemaal is the largest pumping station of its type in continuous operation. At 94 years old (in 2014) it is still capable of raising 4 million liters of water per minute from the drainage area into the IJsselmeer. A couple of personal notes:

I have been in lots of power station boiler rooms. This is the first one I've seen where you could eat off the floor

I heart the reciprocating eccentric cams. I assume they have to do with the expansion cylinders. Which suggests the cylinders are inline.

IJsselmeer Lake itself was made by damming the former Zuiderzee (which, if any English-speakers are curious, means South Sea).

Woudagemaal onder stoom

The literal translation of the title describes this video perfectly- The Woudagemaal under steam.

Ir. D.F. Woudagemaal Lemmer

Because you can't get enough of this steam-powered pumping facility. Especially "onder stoom"